Addressing smokeless tobacco use and building research capacity in South Asia (ASTRA)

ASTRA (Addressing Smokeless Tobacco Use and Building Research Capacity in South Asia) is a new Global Health Research Group funded by the UK’s National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The aim of ASTRA is to reduce the burden of disease caused by the use of smokeless tobacco in South Asian countries. ASTRA consortium comprises five UK Universities and six partner organizations from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. Coordinated by the University of York, ASTRA’s UK partners include the University of Edinburgh, King’s College London, Brunel University London and the University of Warwick. Our South Asian partners include ARK Foundation (Bangladesh), Aga Khan University (Pakistan), Khyber Medical University (Pakistan), Maulana Azad Medical College (India), the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR, India) and HRIDAY (Health Related Information Dissemination Amongst Youth), India. We are supported by key stakeholders, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The UNION). The governance, activities and progress of ASTRA are overseen by an International Advisory Board (IAB), comprising members from the National Cancer Institute (USA), the American Cancer Society, Brown University, NICPR and Bangladesh’s National Heart Foundation Hospital and Research Institute.